摘要:

That religious belief and behavior have far‐reaching influences on personal and social life, in both beneficial and deleterious ways, is self‐evident. The purpose of the present volume is to examine religious influences on a variety of aspects of well‐being, broadly defined to include both personal and societal levels of analysis. Religion and well‐being are both multifaceted constructs, and the empirical relationships between them prove to be highly complex. The authors in this volume examine these relationships across a diverse sampling of conceptualizations of well‐being (coping, mental health, physical health, and substance abuse and recovery), social issues and problems (religion‐related and ritualistic child abuse, prejudice and right‐wing authoritarianism, and HIV infection), and special populations (adolescents and

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01320.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

This paper examines the validity of the view that religion is a defense, a mechanism designed to reduce tension by avoiding a threatening situation rather than confronting it. Empirical and theoretical literature is reviewed suggesting that tension reduction is one but not the only motivation for religious involvement. Additional evidence also indicates that religion is not simply a form of denial, not merely a passive form of coping, and not solely associated with resistance to social change. In contrast to the religion as defense stereotype, religion appears to serve many different purposes and does so in many different ways. It may be more helpful to think of religion as a way of coping, effectively or ineffectively, with life's most difficult problems than as a defensive reaction to trouble. This more differentiated perspective leads to more refined questions about the factors that determine the shape of religion. It also underscores the need for a greater appreciation of the potentially helpful and harmful roles religion can play in the life of the individual and the community. Finally, it points to new opportunities for collaboration between those psychological and religious communities that share a respect for diversity, the dignity of the individual, and social justice.

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01321.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

This article reviews the relationships between the means, end, and quest religious orientations as measures of religion (Batson&Ventis, 1982) and measures of mental health. Mental health is defined by seven criteria gleaned from the previous literature: (a) absence of mental illness, (b) appropriate social behavior, (c) freedom from worry and guilt, (d) personal competence and control, (e) self‐acceptance and self‐actualization, (f) unification and organization of personality, and (g) open‐mindedness and flexibility (Batson, Schoenrade,&Ventis, 1993). The literature approached in this way reveals that the relationship depends on both the measure of religion and the measure of mental health. The means dimension shows predominantly negative relationships with mental health indices; the end dimension shows predominantly positive relationships; and the quest dimension (though less thoroughly researched) reveals mixed results. Applications to mental health of these religious orientations and the research findings are disc

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01322.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Research on the relation between religion and health has tended to focus on group identity and specific religious behaviors that are directly linked to improved health. This paper proposes a new model, which incorporates religious beliefs into a system of cognition (illusions and meaning for events) and psychoneuroimmunologic functioning. It is hypothesized that cognition within religious belief systems may be associated with bodily changes in the immune system and lead to particular health outcomes. The discussion highlights the need for psychological process models to study the way life events are interpreted in the context of religious beliefs. Limitations and challenges of such a global model are identified and several directions for future research are discussed.

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01323.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Studies have typically found less substance abuse among highly religious people than among less religious people. Some research suggests that religiousness is associated with lower substance abuse because religious people have been socialized to accept antiabuse norms, are involved with antiabuse peers, and have a mechanism for satisfying needs for social contact and meaning in life. However, the relationship occurs only for a nurturing and supportive religiousness, and not for a restrictive, negativistic, and ritualistic religiousness. While religiousness has seldom been a variable in the treatment of substance abuse, the available data suggest that, for religious people who desire that their beliefs be considered in such treatment, the treatment may be effective if it shifts abusers from restrictive, negativistic, and ritualistic religiosity, and toward nurturing and supportive religiousness. Knowledge of this research may help nonreligious institutions in their efforts to treat substance abuse.

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01324.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Religious beliefs can foster, encourage, and justify child abuse, yet religious motivations for child abuse and neglect have been virtually ignored in social science research. In this article, we examine cases of religion‐related child abuse reported to mental health professionals nationwide. In particular, we describe in statistical detail cases involving the withholding of medical care for religious reasons, abuse related to attempts to rid a child of evil, and abuse perpetrated by persons with religious authority such as ministers and priests. We argue that society should protect children's rights and welfare whenever these are threatened by religious beliefs and practice

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01325.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Does religion contribute to, or inhibit, prejudice? Although major world religions espouse tolerance and love toward others, empirical evidence provides little support for the effectiveness of such religious teachings, and a considerable body of research suggests that, at a general (and simplistic) level, religion and prejudice are positively correlated. Suggestions that this relationship is actually curvilinear and possibly a result of differences in intrinsic I extrinsic religious orientation are questioned. Recent investigations suggest that conceptualizations of religious fundamentalism and quest offer better ways of distinguishing between more and less prejudiced individuals. Further, the fundamentalism and quest relationships with prejudice are especially meaningful in light of an association with right‐wing authoritarianism. Limitations and implications of the related research are discussed. In the end, it would seem that it is not religion per se, but rather the ways in which individuals hold their religious beliefs, which are associated with prejudic

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01326.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The role of religion in the lives of people with HIV has received relatively little systematic research attention. Even so, extant literature suggests that religion may play complex and varied roles in coping with this disease. Such patterns were evident in data from a sample of HIV‐seropositive military personnel. Findings highlight the ambivalent ties to organized religion noted elsewhere, as well as ethnic, gender, disease stage, and stressor differences in religious copin

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01327.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

A literature review of the relation between religiousness and adolescent well‐being is presented, along with new analyses from a large adolescent data base. It is found that the average level of religiousness of U.S. adolescents has not declined recently, although it does appear to decrease on average across the years of adolescence. African Americans are more religious than whites, and girls are more religious than boys. Religiousness is positively associated with prosocial values and behavior, and negatively related to suicide ideation and attempts, substance abuse, premature sexual involvement, and delinquency. It is unrelated to self‐esteem. These results are found to be robust after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The article concludes with policy suggestions for integrating religion's prosocial influences into larger societal progr

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01328.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Religion's effects upon well‐being in later life should be considered separately from other points in the life span because older persons demonstrate the highest levels of religious participation of any age group, religious institutions frequently offer services of various kinds to elders, and religious traditions articulate values about aging that support well‐being. Although it has been suggested that religion can sometimes adversely affect the well‐being of older people, many empirical studies find a salutary effect of religion on late‐life well‐being. Findings about religion's positive effects upon older adults' well‐being have implications for social service agencies, long‐term care facilities, educational institutions, health care services, and

ISSN:0022-4537    

DOI:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01329.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1995

数据来源: WILEY